Posted on April 3, 2006 at 10:03 AM in @earthlink
Note: The below is an archived entry from Earthling, formerly EarthLink's official blog. The blog itself has been decommissioned and is no longer updated, and comments are trackbacks are no longer accepted.
Back when the Apple iMac launched in the Fall of 1998, the world of e-mail and the internet was still fairly young. But it was a bit of a stretch for Apple to produce a TV ad at that point in time that featured Hollywood's Jeff Goldblum feigning complete confusion at the word e-mail. Stars have always been slow on the technology uptake, but even in 1998 it was funny that they made Jeff Goldblum pretend not to "get it".
Here's the ad: Jeff Goldblum iMac/E-mail. If you want to see more old Mac ads, there's tons more at this German site that acts as an unofficial Mac museum.
The reason why I bring it up is that today EarthLink released a full version of our formerly beta Vling product into the world as MindSpring, an instant messaging and softphone application that's interoperable with current and future products that choose to use open standards. It's a free, Windows XP or 2000 application, and you can download it at MindSpring.com. MindSpring joins several other softphone clients, some in beta and some in commercial release, launched in the past few weeks.
I believe that a more genuine version of the "But I don't have an e-mail" feeling is the very one many regular consumers get when they hear about all of the PC-to-PC and PC-to-telephone calling software released recently. Even the language is clumsy. Softphone? PC-to-PC calling? Is this the best we as an industry can do? And do these terms have meaning to most people yet? The idea of making calls from your computer is certainly not new, but the desire to do so on a regular basis instead of the other options on your desk probably is. But with several of the major players in web and desktop application services working on their own versions, it seems like there are lots of eggs being put into the computer-as-phone basket, EarthLink's included. Read on for my thoughts on why.
Andy Abramson wrote about the crowd of similar computer-based VoIP products recently and wondered how many of them are just par applications, and how many truly differentiate themselves. He wrote:
...everyone was, and seems to still be playing the game of "keeping up with the Skypes." Now it seems that one new player breeds a series of copy-cat like imitations. That's how I define "me too."
But it's not "me too" to the average consumer. It's probably more like, "huh?"
In my case, I have a cellphone, I have a desktop office phone, I have two phones at home, and, heh, in the interest of experimentation I even have a third-party Wi-Fi phone that I can use to call people with MindSpring addresses. Having another option to make calls with, though cheap and interesting, is not necessarily a high priority for me right now. It's not a need I'm feeling at the moment.
But the exciting thing about MindSpring is that as EarthLink continues to integrate its VoIP and internet services, it will soon be another way to use voice and internet products I already use and like. These are things like trueVoice, DSL and Home Phone, my webmail account, and my voice services site (which, by the way, is one of the neatest things about trueVoice). As a standalone alternative to other forms of communication, maybe it's just interesting. But as an integrated part of my home phone line, my voicemail system, my instant messaging tools, my inbox, and my address book, it becomes a more seamless extension of what I'm doing anyway.
When I can set up these services to work in harmony, like if I had one shared identity in all of these systems, then things start to get really interesting. When I choose to use computer-based calling from my array of choices, but the person on the other end doesn't know or care how I'm calling, then it's all working together. It provides a cheap, quick, and easy option for communication where previously it would have been difficult.
Just like the real power of VoIP is in its efficiency behind the scenes, the real power of PC-based calling is in its ability to act as an extension of your regular communication habits.
Comments
The thing that I miss about regular phone is the sound quality. It's not worth the $60/month or whatever that Verizon was charging me, but it was nice to have a clear connection, and also to have the little bit of feedback that the phone gave you so you knew how loud you were talking. I might be willing to pay something like $10-20 per month to get those things back. I don't get the sense that VOIP is quite there yet, though, and I agree that people will need to "get it" better for the technology to really take off.
What to call it? "Internet calling"? "Computer calling"? It definitely has to be simpler than the options currently out there.
Posted by Jeff Durland | April 3, 2006 3:20 PM
you know, i'd really like to see their justification for the claims of "better than cd quality sound", because 128k/sec isn't even considered cd quality sound, and when i had vonage, even on the highest bandwidth setting it wasn't using 128k/sec. any idea what the bandwidth consumption is on mindspring?
Posted by shawn reed | April 4, 2006 12:23 AM
You know, MindSpring was my first ISP back when it was still a regional company. I also knew lots of people who worked there before it became a national ISP superpower and before the merger with Earthlink.
I know that EarthLink owns the MindSpring name and has the right to use it however it pleases. But I kind of resent that EarthLink has decided to co-opt the name of a company that was close to my heart and apply it (seemingly willy-nilly) to another service.
Posted by Tracy | April 4, 2006 7:39 AM
Hi, I'm MindSpring's product owner (or "pointy-haired boss" to some fellow posters). Funny, when we chosed MindSpring or the product name, we used the same phrase - that it was dear and close to our hearts - to describe why we loved the name. For me, the name MindSpring is not only synonymous with creativity and innovation but also has a good-hearted edgy-ness to it. An aspect that makes this name entirely apropo for a product that's a bit of a "wild child" juxtaposed to the more estblished EarthLink brand - a fun and free "start up" product that will play a critical role in this company's transformation into a Total Communications Provider.
Posted by Tom Hsieh (tyh@mindspring.com) | April 4, 2006 3:55 PM
Jeff: Like I've said on Earthling before, I use trueVoice at home, which is VoIP in a different form, and I don't hear the difference. I was just messing around with MindSpring at my desk, and I think it sounds as good as if not better than a landline as far as clarity and depth. I haven't taken to using a "crazy person-style" bluetooth headset with my cellphone, but I might get one. Then I could pair it to both my phone and my computer at work. Switching from an IM session straight in to a call has a nice dramatic flair to it. Will they let you install software on your computer at work?
Shawn: We didn't mean to make any unjustified claims, and we're clarifying that FAQ page to clear up any confusion.
Posted by Dave Coustan (earthling) | April 4, 2006 5:52 PM
Dave: Unfortunately I can't install software at work. I figured your suggestion implied that MindSpring doesn't work on Macs (yet?), which is too bad, because I'd be interested at least in trying it out. I'll probably end up using one of these VOIP deals, but I guess I'm just wary of getting another monthly charge.
By the way, I understand my client's need for security, but this no-new-application thing can be irksome. Having to use IE for my browser is just really icky. I have actually considered bringing in my laptop to do everything but Outlook (provided I could find a wireless connection to hop on to).
Posted by Jeff Durland | April 5, 2006 12:30 PM